Khadijah (555-620), first wife of
Muhammad, was a wealthy widow and trader who employed him to work as a business
agent for her caravans. They married when he was 25 and she was 40. They were
married for 25 years. They had six children, though early for survived. Fatima is
the most famous of their children. She supported Muhammad through the difficult
years of his revelations and was the first convert to Islam.
Fatima was the daughter of Muhammad and
his first wife, Khadijah. Fatima married Ali, her father’s cousin, who was
later to become the fourth caliph (successor of Muhammad as the leader of
Islam). Ali founded the section of Islam called the Shi’ites.
Fatima had two daughters and two sons. The
sons, Hasan and Husain, were later involved in wars fought to decide the
leadership of Islam.
Fatima is regarded by many Muslims as
the ideal woman. Some Muslims believe that Fatima was the product of a virgin
birth. Fatima helped to nurse Muhammad though his final illness and died
herself only a few months after him.
Muhammad had no sons. From 909, a group
called the Fatimids gained control of North Africa. They rules Egypt for almost
300 years and founded the city of Cairo. They claimed to be descended from the
Prophet Muhammad through Fatima.
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